Omar lashes out at central government

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday lashed out at the Congress-led central government for "double standards" adopted by it with regard to parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and others on death row.

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday lashed out at the Congress-led central government for "double standards" adopted by it with regard to parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and others on death row.

He said Afzal Guru's hanging was a "matter of pick and choose", while other convicts facing death sentence had been measured by "different yardsticks".

Omar Abdullah was replying to a debate on the grants of departments like home, power and general administration under him in the state legislative assembly.

While lamenting the attitude of the central government, the chief minister said he was faced with a volley of questions on the issue as to why only Afzal Guru was hanged "out of turn" while others on the same list were being dealt differently.

Afzal Guru, who provided logistic support for the terrorists who mounted an attack on parliament Dec 13, 2001, was sentenced to death in October 2004.

The Supreme Court later upheld his death sentence. He was hanged to death February 9 and the chief minister said that he was informed only 12 hours before the execution.